Method and apparatus for reducing nitrous oxide emissions from combustors

Abstract

An improved combustor for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. Techniques for reducing the level of noxious pollutants emitted by the combustor are developed. In one embodiment, a combination of serpentine geometried, fuel-mixing tubes discharging to the radially outward area of the combustor and an axially oriented, fuel-mixing tube near the center of the combustor are adapted to generate a strong centrifugal force field within the combustor. The tube near the center of the combustor has a convergent section at the upstream end thereof and a divergent section at the downstream end thereof. Fuel supply means is adapted to discharge fuel into the convergent section of the tube. Vaporization of the fuel in the tube is aided by maintaining a differential axial velocity over the length of the tube. The force field promotes rapid mixing and combustion within the chamber to reduce both the magnitude of the combustor temperature and the period of exposure of the medium gases to that temperature. In accordance with a method taught, the fuel/air ratio in the serpentine mixing tubes is maintained within the range of fifty to seventy-five percent (50 to 75%) of the stoichiometric fuel/air ratio for the fuel employed and the fuel/air ratio in the axial mixing tube is maintained at a value less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the stoichiometric fuel/air ratio for the fuel employed.